Farm cash receipts, January to September 2021
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Released: 2021-11-24
$58.0 billion
January to September 2021
11.0% 
(year-over-year change)
Farm cash receipts increase during the first three quarters of 2021
Farm cash receipts for Canadian farmers totalled $58.0 billion over the first three quarters of 2021, up 11.0% (+$5.8 billion) from the same period in 2020 as a result of higher receipts for livestock and crops driven primarily by increases in prices and high demand. Direct payments remained unchanged, at $2.4 billion.
Chart 1
Total crop, livestock and direct payment receipts as a proportion of total farm cash receipts, January to September, Canada, 2011 to 2021
Every province had increases in total receipts, with Alberta (+$1.8 billion) and Saskatchewan (+$1.0 billion) accounting for half of the increase.
The majority of western farmers contended with higher-than-average temperatures, drought conditions throughout the growing season, as well as forest fires. These events have resulted in reduced crop yields and higher feed costs for all provinces. The full impact of these challenges will be clearer in future releases of Farm Cash Receipts and Net Farm Income.
Chart 2
Farm cash receipts by category, by province or region, January to September 2021
Total crop receipts up as most grains and oilseeds receipts were positive
Crop receipts which are based on the strong 2020 crop production were up 9.6% to $33.5 billion during the first three quarters of 2021. International demand and lower inventories pushed prices higher and resulted in all grains and oilseeds (except for soybeans) having positive receipts. Excluding cannabis, crop receipts would have risen 9.9%.
Canola receipts (+$1.3 billion) represented almost half of the increase in total crop receipts. Strong prices (+40.9%) more than offset lower marketings (-16.3%).
Total wheat receipts (+$1.1 billion) represented almost 40% of the increase in total crop receipts. Wheat (excluding durum) also recorded strong prices (+24.6%), while marketings fell (-7.9%). Durum wheat receipts, however, increased in both price (+31.9%) and marketings (+0.4%).
Soybeans recorded higher prices (+28.1%) but lower marketings (-42.5%), resulting in a 26.4% drop in soybean receipts.
Specialty crop receipts dropped by 3.0% to $2.5 billion from the first three quarters of 2020. Despite rising prices (+30.2%) lentil receipts dropped by 15.1% to $1.1 billion, while marketings also fell (-34.8%). The receipts were down slightly from the record high in the first three months of 2020. In addition, mustard seeds also saw a decline in receipts. The remaining specialty crops recorded minor increases in receipts.
Cannabis receipts rose 6.0% to $2.3 billion in the first three quarters of 2021, representing 7.0% of total crop receipts.
Total livestock receipts increase on strength of slaughter hog receipts
Livestock receipts increased 14.8% to $22.1 billion during the first three quarters of 2021. Half of the increase is attributable to total hog receipts (+$1.5 billion). The remaining increase in receipts comes from slaughter cattle (+$699.1 million) and supply managed (+$644.5 million).
Slaughter hog receipts are up by 38.3% to $4.2 billion on the strength of high prices (+37.1%). Domestic and international demand, coupled with high feed prices, have resulted in extremely high prices for hogs. International hog export receipts have doubled from the first three quarters of 2020, as animals were moved south due to labour disruptions at plants which reduced processing capacity.
Total cattle receipts were up 9.7% to $6.9 billion, mostly attributable to slaughter cattle receipts which were up by 15.1%. Slaughter cattle receipts were up due to both increases in the number of animals slaughtered and prices, which offset the decreases in international export of cattle where the number of cattle and prices fell.
Receipts for supply managed commodities increased 7.5% to $9.3 billion dollars. This represented just over 40% of livestock receipts. All of the supply managed commodities recorded an increase in receipts led by chickens for meat (+$299.0 million) and dairy (+$246.9 million).
Total direct payments remain unchanged
During the first three quarters of 2021, total direct payments remained unchanged from the first three quarters of 2020, at $2.4 billion. Four provinces recorded a total decline of $144.6 million, led by Quebec (-$58.1 million) and Manitoba (-$48.5 million). The remaining six provinces combined for an increase of $128.2 million, led by Alberta (+$65.5 million).
Drops in provincial stabilization payments (-$180.0 million), crop insurance (-$116.3 million) and livestock insurance (-$115.4 million) were offset by an increase in the Dairy Direct Payment Program (+$413.9 million).
Note to readers
The next quarterly release of Farm Cash Receipts will occur on February 28, 2022 and will include data for January to December 2021.
Preliminary estimates of net farm income for 2021 will be available in May 2022.
All data in this release are in current dollars. Farm cash receipts measure the gross revenue of farm businesses. They include sales of crops and livestock products (except sales between farms in the same province) and program payments. Receipts are recorded when the money is paid to farmers. These do not represent their bottom line, as farmers have to pay their expenses and loans and cover depreciation.
Farm cash receipts are, for the most part, based on monthly marketings and the monthly prices of various commodities. Marketings are quantities sold, using various units of measure.
Data are extracted from administrative files and derived from other Statistics Canada surveys and/or other sources. These data are subject to revision. COVID-19 has also had some impact on normal collection operations. For certain commodities, it was not possible to collect data either in time or at all; in these cases, estimates were produced (e.g., fur, maple syrup). Revisions to these estimates will be made in future releases as data become available.
For details on farm cash receipts and net farm income for 2020, see the "Farm income" release in today's Daily.
Find more agriculture and food statistics.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).
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